Topic ID 3227
The changing face of East Herts? There are no gaelic, welsh, urdu or arabic versions I notice.
Reply ID 46572
A couple of years ago I noticed council document was printed in English, Polish and Portuguese.
Reply ID 46580
never been able to understand why local government paperwork is available in Italian.
Reply ID 46581
quote:There is a sizeable Italian community in Hoddesdon. Maybe this is the reason.
Originally posted by carlos fandango
never been able to understand why local government paperwork is available in Italian.
Reply ID 46584
...it's all in double Dutch as well...
Reply ID 46586
I understand there are boxes that have to be ticked and national targets around consulting and involving minority communities. Here in East Herts we have well below the national average number of people of minority ethnic origin. And those we do have tend to be affluent and well-integrated. For example, many local Asian households are headed by someone who is either a doctor, a boffin at one of the big local pharmaceutical companies or running a restaurant. But the local council still have to be able to demonstrate that they are involving and empowering ethnic minorities. Hence our council tax gets spent on events celebrating culteral diversity in East Herts that end up being attended by two bemused Portuguese businessmen and a Polish science teacher. [:)] Oh dear, I've gone all Daily Mail! I think I'd better sit down with a cup of fair trade tea and fan myself with a New Statesman. [;)]
Reply ID 46612
I wonder if I moved to Italy they would be so obliging. Though I can understand doing it for people from poorer 3rd world countries.
Reply ID 46613
I think it is probably in the council's interest for the largest ethnic minority in the community to be able to access their facilities.
Reply ID 46615
Bet the French print their documents only in French, but I'm willing to stand corrected.
Reply ID 46616
I think it depends upon the size and language of the non-indigenous population. For example, the Cherbourg town council has an English option but the Marseilles web site does not.
Reply ID 46617
Im sure the money could be better spent. The polish people i know speak and understand english very well.
Reply ID 46640
The Polish people that I know speak better English than some of the English people I know!
Reply ID 46644
And in my experience of living in Germany, all official forms come in 1 language...German.
Reply ID 46649
Exactly Carlos Fandango, we pamper to the minorities and forget the masses, bloody PC sandle wearing, nanny state tos--rs, up the revolution.
Reply ID 46654
quote:More fool wearing Sandles in this Weather [:o)] I agree totally.
Originally posted by Hugh
Exactly Carlos Fandango, we pamper to the minorities and forget the masses, bloody PC sandle wearing, nanny state tos--rs, up the revolution.
Reply ID 46670
Why do the PC brigade keep winning?
Reply ID 46674
I share your frustration - maybe its because not enough of the 'common-sense squadron' stand up and be counted. These PC morons only get away with it because they are allowed to. [:(!]
Reply ID 46675
quote:Maybe because the non-PC brigade are so apathetic. What have you done about it?
Originally posted by Dude
Why do the PC brigade keep winning?
Reply ID 46676
The minute you openly criticise something like this, you get branded a racist.
Reply ID 46678
I sense that a number of people contributing here base their judgements on what they read in The Dail Mail or Daily Express. If you read a selection of newspapers you'll quickly learn that most of them have an agenda. If you only read one newspaper, you're probably only getting one side of the story.
Reply ID 46688
The PC brigade keep winning because for the most part the silent majority are too busy working to try and pay for the mess the PCB/politicians are making of this country. Like i said I CAN see a reason for doing limited translations for some languages. For European languages not.
Reply ID 46691
quote:Voted with my feet and moved out. Selling to a polish clan of course! [:)]
Originally posted by JohnSmithquote:Maybe because the non-PC brigade are so apathetic. What have you done about it?
Originally posted by Dude
Why do the PC brigade keep winning?
Reply ID 46692
Just to clarify matters, there are six pages of information in Polish on the EHDC website. There is not a Polish version of the entire website. http://www.eastherts.gov.uk/index.jsp?articleid=4677 I am assuming this was paid for out of the grant awarded by the East of England Development Agency in May... http://www.eastherts.gov.uk/index.jsp?articleid=4677
Reply ID 46795
Ironically, The Government are asking local authorities to do less translation: "Local councils and other public bodies will be warned that they are hampering integration of immigrants by translating too many documents and signs into foreign languages." From The Daily Telegraph: [url="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml;jsessionid=FWPX5TJXPJEQVQFIQMFSFFWAVCBQ0IV0?xml=/news/2007/12/07/ntranslate107.xml"]Too many signs translated, councils told[/url]
Reply ID 46805
If required to fill in an official form which was not understood they would be able to request a Translator - these would have to be 'mother tounge' speakers from whichever country and do not come cheaply. Producing 1 version and printing it would be considerably cheaper. Although if it is done in Polish it should be done in very Language. The British are probably the World's worst to expect other nationalities to all understand the language. Even we may have problems understanding dialects from different parts of the UK.
Reply ID 46807
When I go to Spain I have to have hire a translator, this service is not given free, they do not put all offical documents in English and I do not understand a vast amount of spoken Spanish, our property is in a small village not many English and we have to speak some Spanish to be understood and be integrated in the community.